Local terrorist with two visits to Pak spotted with foreigners in Doda

2000 more BSF jawans being deployed on IB

Went to Pak via Nepal, Wagah border

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 27: As Doda police today released sketches of three terrorists responsible for martyrdom of four soldiers at Dessa on July 16, for the first time since terror attacks started in the Jammu region on January 1, 2023 with civilian killings at Dhangri in Rajouri district, involvement of a local Kashmiri terrorist has surfaced.

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While police is yet to officially name the terrorist, the officials confirmed that he looked like Arbaaz Ahmed Mir of Kulgam in South Kashmir and appeared to have infiltrated into this side from the International Border in April this year.

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As per the data available with the police, 1996-born Arbaaz first went to Pakistan via Nepal in 2018 and got training in arms there. He returned via Nepal and reached Kulgam the same year.
Arbaaz then started operating in Kupwara and Srinagar where he motivated two more youth for arms training in Pakistan. In 2020, the trio reached Pakistan on visa via Wagah-Attari border in Amritsar district of Punjab. However, he informed the family that he was going on tour with his friends.
As his mobile telephone remained switched off, his father informed the police.
Arbaaz is reported to have returned in April this year from the International Border along with a group of two more terrorists and reached Doda where he is operating at present and is reportedly involved in the martyrdom of four soldiers including Captain Brijesh Thappa in Dessa area of Doda district on July 16.
Officials said Arbaaz Ahmed Mir would be first local terrorist found operating along with Pakistanis since terrorism resurfaced in Jammu region starting from Dhangri terror attack in Rajouri on January 1, 2023, if his identity is confirmed.
Police, however, have arrested many local terror associates including BJP’s former Social Media Incharge during last two years but they were not directly involved in the killings of civilians and security personnel.
Officials have stated that most of the terrorists operating in Jammu region are foreigners, mainly Pakistanis. Even five terrorists killed during last about one-and-a-half-month including three in Doda and two in Hiranagar were Pakistanis though their identities were not established.
As per the officials, a total of 12 terrorists (four groups of three terrorists) are reportedly operating in Doda district. All out operations have been launched to eliminate them.
Meanwhile, Doda police today released sketches of the three terrorists responsible for the recent killing of four soldiers, including a Captain in Doda district, and announced a cash reward of Rs 15 lakh on their heads.
Police said they are moving in the upper reaches of the district especially in Dessa forest.
J&K Police announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on each of these three terrorists, the spokesperson said, appealing to the general public to provide information about them and assured that the identity of the informer will be kept a secret.
Police shared over a dozen phone and mobile numbers, including that of senior police officers and control room for people to reach out.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered deployment of 2,000 more BSF personnel on the International Border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts of the Jammu region to plug the infiltration routes and ensure that the terrorists don’t manage to intruder from Pakistan.
The BSF jawans being deployed on the border with Pakistan in the Jammu region are being shifted from Odisha, the officials said
The Jammu region accounts for 485 kilometres of this border, interspersed with dense forests and mountainous terrain. About a dozen BSF battalions are deployed along the International Border in Jammu.
The deployment of BSF troops in the “second line and depth” areas along Jammu and other parts of the international border has been a long proposed plan after officers of the force and experts pointed out that such a backup would help check infiltration and terrorist activities in the hinterland, the officials said.
They said deployment of more BSF jawans on the International Border will help in effective surveillance on the infiltration attempts from Pakistan.